by Dan Chaon
First published 2013
Editor Ellen Datlow ventures into the bleakest territories of contemporary horror to assemble this collection of the year's most unsettling stories. She selects works from established masters alongside emerging voices, all united by their willingness to stare directly into humanity's darkest impulses. The stories explore twisted desires and compulsions, both human and otherworldly. Characters confront supernatural terrors and psychological breakdowns that blur the line between reality and nightmare. Each tale cuts deep, examining fears that range from ancient supernatural dread to modern anxieties. The collection showcases writers who follow in the footsteps of Poe, Lovecraft, and King while forging their own paths through literary darkness. These stories refuse to look away from death, madness, and the unknown forces that lurk at the edges of human understanding. The emotional core pulses with the recognition that our deepest fears often spring from truths we cannot bear to acknowledge.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, horror
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: psychological-thriller, supernatural-horror
Period: Contemporary
385 pages · Paperback · Night Shade
Content warnings: body-horror, gore, violence